KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 — A Muslim husband is entitled to prevent his wife from participating in team-building activities that include male participants to avoid issues related to slander, ikhtilat, and khalwat.

According to Malay daily Kosmo!, the Mufti of Penang, Associate Professor Datuk Mohd Sukki Othman said this recently in response to a question on an Islamic question-and-answer portal regarding the legality of a wife attending a mixed-gender team-building event.

Mohd Sukki said that activities involving physical contact, such as those in rivers or pools and evening dance performances, are considered forms of ikhtilat, which are prohibited due to the lack of justification in Islamic law.

Ikhtilat refers to interactions between men and women, while khalwat denotes a private meeting between a man and a woman without the presence of others.

"It is not an emergency situation; there is no necessity or significant benefit, and team-building programmes can be organised in accordance with Islamic law,” he is reported as saying.

He further elaborated that both khalwat and ikhtilat can lead to immoral actions, with the consequences of khalwat being more severe due to a higher likelihood of misconduct.

"The default ruling for both is prohibition, with the fundamental ruling for khalwat being haram (forbidden),” he said.

To determine whether specific instances of ikhtilat or khalwat are permissible, the parameters outlined by Islamic scholars must be considered, he added.

According to Mohd Sukki, scholars have identified conditions under which these interactions may be allowed.

For example, he said that if a man encounters a lost woman on the street, he is permitted to accompany her, especially if her safety may be at risk if she is left alone.

He added that this example serves as guidance for determining whether a particular ikhtilat or khalwat is permissible under Islamic law.